History Film / Whiplash

'''Metz:''' (after a long pause, [[OhCrap as if he knows]] [[ThisIsGonnaSuck what's about to happen]]) Yes.

** There are several instances of lines from Fletcher in the feature version sounding identical to how they appear in the short. One such line that was confirmed to have been reused is "If you deliberately sabotage my band, I will FUCK you like a pig!" -- Chazelle actually rewrote the end of the line for the feature ("I will gut you like a fucking pig!"), but J.K. Simmons refused to say it, finding it too ridiculous. Since no new footage was shot of Fletcher saying the line, the film cuts to a close-up of Andrew instead.

** Andrew gets another at Thanksgiving when his cousins respond to his claims of wanting "greatness" by asking "Isn't that subjective?", forcing him to be honest that what he really wants is Fletcher's approval.

* AtomicFBomb: After Fletcher tells the band (with Andrew, Connolly and Tanner all present) about Sean Casey's death, getting emotional while doing so, they resume practice with "Caravan". When Connolly and Andrew fail to play to Fletcher's standards, he quietly switches them out, but when Tanner fails, he explodes with a loud "MOTHERFUCKER!", marking the return of his trademark anger.

* AtomicFBomb: After Fletcher tells the band (with Andrew, Connolly and Tanner all present) about Sean Casey's death, getting emotional while doing so, they resume practice with "Caravan". When Connolly and Andrew fail to play to Fletcher's standards, he quietly switches them out, but when Tanner fails, he explodes with a loud "MOTHERFUCKER!", marking the return of his trademark anger and vitriol.

** There are a few moments where Fletcher's hostility is valid, namely involving his students being lax with their sheet music, which is expensive to replace. He gets upset at someone for leaving a folder out ("If I ever find another one of these lying around again, I swear to fucking God...I will stop being so polite"), and when Tanner has to tell him the bad news that Andrew lost his folder, Fletcher pins the blame directly on Tanner since his folder "was [his] fucking responsibility", although he doesn't exactly let Andrew off the hook, either ("You give a calculator to a fucking retard, he's gonna try and turn on a TV with it").

** At one point during Andrew's solo at the end, he starts gradually getting slower and quieter on the snare, to the point where he practically stops playing, and then builds back up again to a thrilling speed and volume. It's something that Andrew's idol, Buddy Rich, was known to do in his solos.
** At one point, a short stage-hand has the misfortune to walk in during Fletcher yelling at his students. Fletcher calls him [[Film/AustinPowers Mini-Me]].
** ''"Fuck off, [[Film/PointBreak1991 Johnny Utah!]] Turn my pages, bitch!"''

* EndsWithASmile: Zigzagged. The final shots of the movie are of Andrew and Fletcher smiling at each other as Fletcher finally shows approval for Andrew's performance. However, the scene is cut so that the audience doesn't actually see Fletcher's mouth (just the rest of his face moving). We do see Andrew smiling, though, as he continues playing.

** There are a few moments where Fletcher's hostility is valid, like when he gets upset at someone for leaving sheet music out, since sheet music is expensive to replace.
--->"If I ever find another one of these lying around again, I swear to fucking God...I will stop being so polite."

* LaserGuidedKarma: While Andrew is guiding the orchestra in the final act to play "Caravan", Fletcher is taken aback by the interruption of his speech and threatens to gouge out Andrew's eyes, only for Andrew to strategically strike a cymbal and make it hit him in the chin, which forces him to step back and resume conducting. It's fitting how the sharp edge of the cymbal comes alarmingly close to Fletcher's neck, as he's immensely fond of the urban myth that Charlie Parker nearly got decapitated by an airborne cymbal.
** Of course, this also serves as payback for Fletcher sending a chair flying directly at Andrew's head.

* PapaWolf: Downplayed with Andrew's father Jim. Although he is angered greatly when he realizes [[KickTheDog the extent]] to which Fletcher pushes his students, and persuades Andrew to testify against his instructor, he never confronts Fletcher directly. This is made even more jarring when he attends a concert in the third act where Andrew is playing in Fletcher's new band.

* UngratefulBastard: Fletcher sees Andrew as this for turning on him and getting him fired, catalyzing his motive for trying to humiliate the latter in the third act.

* TheVillainKnowsMoment: After Andrew gets kicked out of college for fighting Fletcher, he talks to the investigation into Fletcher's violent and abusive conduct. When Fletcher comes to him and offers him a position in his band as Fletcher has also lost his position, he can't resist saying yes. But, when Andrew gets up to perform, Fletcher drops the following bomb on him:
-->'''Fletcher''': Do you think I'm fucking stupid? I know it was you.

** Near the climax of the movie, Fletcher and Andrew reconvene, and Fletcher reveals that he was fired from Shaffer after Sean Casey's parents got a student to testify against him as an anonymous witness. He then invites Andrew to play for his new band like an old friend; just as they take the stage, he drops a bomb on him:

The next year, Chazelle returned to Sundance with the feature version, which played to rapturous reception, winning the Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic Features. It later opened up in theaters in October of the same year, earning mass acclaim on a wider scale, alongside 3 [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscars]] for [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActorInASupportingRole Best Supporting Actor]] (J. K. Simmons), [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestFilmEditing Best Film Editing]] and Best Sound Mixing. The film was also nominated for [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestPicture Best Picture]] and [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestAdaptedScreenplay Best Adapted Screenplay]].

** A variant with Sean Casey. Fletcher refers to him quickly in passing as having died. His parents then [[spoiler:bring a case against Fletcher for driving him to suicide.]]

* ColorMotif: Exhibited subtly by Andrew. [[spoiler:His character arc is symbolized through the color of his shirt in several key scenes. He starts the film hopeful with a [[LightIsGood pure white tee]] that contrasts Fletcher's [[DarkIsEvil black outfit]], but ends the film as a hardened machine in the same black as Fletcher, symbolizing his submission to Fletcher's will and his own ambition.]]

* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Subverted; [[spoiler:Andrew tackles Fletcher at the end of the second act when he kicks him off the stage mid-performance, [[NegatedMomentOfAwesome but is dragged away before the actual beating can take place.]]]]

** Multiple shots in the feature version were lifted directly from the short version, simply being given the same color grade as the rest of the scene. Many of these shots are close-ups not specific to a particular actor or setting.
** There are several instances of lines from Fletcher in the feature version sounding identical to how they appear in the short version. One such line that was confirmed to have been reused is "If you deliberately sabotage my band, I will FUCK you like a pig!" -- Chazelle actually rewrote the end of the line for the feature ("I will gut you like a fucking pig!"), but J.K. Simmons refused to say it, finding it too ridiculous. Since no new footage was shot of Fletcher saying the line, the film cuts to a close-up of Andrew instead.

** Andrew [[spoiler:hitting his RageBreakingPoint should be awesome when he attacks Fletcher for cutting him and showing NoSympathy about the fact that he ran from the scene of a bad car accident to perform. Instead, the other students pull him off because while they may dislike Fletcher, they don't want him or Andrew seriously injured, or for Andrew to stoop to Fletcher's level. The conservatory also expels Andrew for assaulting a teacher and he refuses to explain why he did so; his father has to convince him to testify anonymously in the Sean Casey case]].

** Andrew seems to have found a big break and made peace with Fletcher after [[spoiler:reporting Fletcher and getting him fired]]. It even seems like a huge IdiotBall moment for Fletcher, who apparently couldn't figure out that the kid who attacked him on-stage at a show was the one who [[spoiler:turned him in.]] Except, as it turns out, Fletcher [[spoiler:knew from the first moment that Andrew was the one who reported him, and he's setting up Andrew for humiliation. Fletcher is many, many things, but he's not "fucking stupid."]]

* TemptingFate: Carl hissing at Andrew "Do not touch this kit" after the latter lost his folder in the previous scene. Then Fletcher orders Andrew to play Carl's drums.

* Understatement: Fletcher states that his unorthodox methods "have made him a few enemies."

* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: Fletcher, his co-players and the judges at the competition all under-react to [[spoiler:Andrew coming in covered in blood.]] It is one of the few times we see Fletcher off-balance, though.

** Multiple shots in the feature version are lifted directly from the short version, simply being given the same color grade as the rest of the scene. Many of these shots are close-ups not specific to a particular actor or setting.

** Sorry, Andrew -- no amount of [[{{Determinator}} blind determination]] is going to get you through a performance [[spoiler:after just having been T-boned by a truck.]]

** To represent how hard he's playing, Andrew frequently starts bleeding ludicrous amounts. As real drummers noted, the only explanation for the amount of blood that comes out is that he has hemophilia; while it's possible for someone to start bleeding if they chock the cymbal or hit a rim shot wrong, there's nowhere near as much blood involved even in the worst case scenario.

* BlackAndGrayMorality: Despite his idealistic goals, Fletcher's more repugnant actions[[note]] the revelation of Fletcher lying about Sean Casey's [[DrivenToSuicide true fate]] and his attempt at revenge on Andrew for testifying against him. [[/note]] reveal him as a selfish psychopath who will stoop to any low to succeed. Though Andrew is still [[ItsAllAboutMe self-serving]], he never engages in the horrid actions his mentor commits.

* CommendedForPushback: [[spoiler:After a disastrous performance, Andrew walks offstage humiliated but returns and cuts off Fletcher's introduction to the next piece by playing the intro to "Caravan", cueing the band himself. Initially angered, Fletcher resumes conducting. As the piece finishes, Andrew continues into an extended, unexpected solo. Impressed, Fletcher nods in approval before cueing the finale.]]

** Fletcher compares Connolly to a leprechaun and Andrew later refers to him as "that little redhead". Despite these taunts, Connolly is in fact very tall and strapping.
* InnocentlyInsensitive:
** Andrew's extended family come across as being dismissive of his achievements in becoming the core drummer in Fletcher's band, though more out of a lack of knowledge or understanding on the subject than pure disinterest. To their credit, they make a genuine effort to talk to him about it and it is ultimately Andrew who comes off worse in the scene for openly calling his cousins' accomplishments as athletes lesser than his own as a musician.

* ItsAllAboutMe: In spite of what Fletcher says about his actions done for the sake of artistic integrity, seeing that he looks down on his students, [[spoiler:will lie to cover up his misdeeds, and sabotages his own band to take revenge on a pupil, [[GloryHound Fletcher's end goal seems less about keeping a genre’s embers lit and producing greatness and more akin to attaining recognition for himself and securing a legacy in music history.]]]]

** Deconstructed. Though the film acknowledges Fletcher's perspective of denying rewards in favor of mediocrity, reserving praise for the exceptionally talented, and persevering through hardship to succeed, the lengths to which he is willing to push his students to excel and the damage his students accumulate throughout his tutelage is depicted as so unflatteringly abhorrent, the audience to is left decide [[WasItReallyWorthIt whether or not the suffering and sacrifice his students endured to reach "greatness" was worth it.]] J.K. Simmons was inclined to agree with Fletcher's "good job" speech, but Damien Chazelle stated that he believes this attitude will lead Andrew into an early grave.
** There are a few moments where Fletcher's hostility is valid, like when he gets upset at someone for leaving sheet music out ("If I ever find another one of these lying around again, I swear to fucking God...I will stop being so polite") since sheet music is expensive to replace.

* MyFriendsAndZoidberg: The dinner scene sets up such a dynamic with Andrew very clearly being the black sheep of his family, his achievements completely buried under those of his cousins and father.

* WorldOfJerkass:

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Early on in the film, Andrew is late to his first class, rushes due to Fletcher's strictness, and gets himself hurt in the process. [[spoiler:Near the end of the second act, another similar scenario occurs, but [[SurpriseCarCrash this time with a car involved.]]]]

** Deconstructed. Though the film acknowledges Fletcher's perspective of denying rewards in favor of mediocrity, reserving praise for the exceptionally talented, and persevering through hardship to succeed, the lengths to which he is willing to push his students to excel and the damage his students accumulate throughout his tutelage is depicted as so unflatteringly abhorrent, [[WasItReallyWorthIt the audience to is left decide whether or not the suffering and sacrifice his students endured to reach "greatness" was worth it.]] [[WordOfGod J.K. Simmons was inclined to agree with Fletcher's "good job" speech, but Damien Chazelle stated that he believes this attitude will lead Andrew into an early grave.]]
** There are a few moments where Fletcher's hostility is valid, like when he gets upset at someone for leaving sheet music out ("If I ever find another one of these lying around again, I swear to fucking god... I will stop being so polite.") since sheet music is expensive to replace.
** Similarly, Andrew's cousins may be [[JerkJock jerk jocks]], but one of them makes a surprisingly pertinent point in wondering how bands win competitions when "isn't it all subjective?" Andrew wants "greatness" but that is a fluid, totally subjective concept. What he really wants is Fletcher's approval, which he has at the end, at the cost of everything else.

* MyFriendsAndZoidberg: The dinner scene sets up such a dynamic with Andrew very clearly being the black sheep of his family, his musical achievements completely buried under those of his cousins and father.

* FalseDichotomy: Fletcher's general view amounts to this as he says how praising people for the standard prevents them from going further, as evidenced in his "good job" monologue, but he goes the other extreme, offering up nothing but horrific verbal abuse. The idea that a teacher can praise a student for doing well and also push them to be better is something Fletcher doesn't seem to have ever considered, and is a sign that [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist that he just likes being awful to people because he's a bully.]]

'''Andrew:''' Four words you will never hear from the NFL.

*** To be fair, this may be purposeful due to the extremely tense and competitive environment Fletcher creates among his students. Enjoyment of a thing may very well fall away when your teacher treats it with all the deadly seriousness of military combat.

The next year, Chazelle returned to Sundance with the feature version, which played to rapturous reception, winning the Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic Features. It later opened up in theaters in October of the same year, earning mass acclaim on a wider scale, alongside 3 [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscars]] for Best Supporting Actor (J. K. Simmons), Best Film Editing and Best Sound Mixing. The film was also nominated for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.

* SingleTear: One of these trickles down Andrew's nose during Fletcher's first time reproaching him. Fletcher makes sure to [[KickTheDog milk out several more]].

* TitleDrop: The title of the song on the music sheet that is handed to Andrew on the final performance.

* WhamShot: Fletcher hurling the chair at Andrew's head out of nowhere [[HopeSpot after making him think he'd finally fixed his mistake]], giving the audience their first indicator as to who he truly is, and how much of a hellhole Andrew's officially in.